Apparatus for imparting visual surface effects to relatively moving materials

Abstract

Apparatus for imparting visual surface effects to a relatively moving substrate by application of discrete streams of heated pressurized fluid to surface areas of the substrate. The apparatus includes an elongate manifold assembly comprising two fluid receiving compartments, each extending across the path of said substrate. Fluid from the first compartment passes into the second compartment, which is comprised of a series of chambers, each associated with a throttling gap. The fluid is uniformly mixed within this second compartment, and may then be directed onto the substrate as a thin, continuous stream extending the length of the manifold. By use of blocking streams of relatively cool fluid, smaller streams or groups of streams extending along selected portions of the manifold may be formed.

That which I claim is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for pressurized heated fluid stream treatment of a relatively moving substrate material to impart a change in the appearance thereof, comprising an elongate fluid distributing manifold assembly disposed across the path of relative movement of the material and closely adjacent the surface thereof for discharging at least one uniform stream of heated pressurized fluid against the surface of the material, said manifold assembly comprising: first and second elongate manifold housings defining corresponding first and second fluid-receiving compartments extending across the path of relative movement of the material;   said first housing including inlet means for introducing pressurized heated fluid into said first compartment generally uniformly along its elongate length, outlet means located remotely from said inlet means for discharging heated fluid from the compartment generally uniformly along its elongate length, said first housing inlet and outlet means defining a flow path through said housing which is generally perpendicular to its length;   said second manifold housing including inlet means for receiving pressurized heated fluid into said second compartment generally uniformly along its length, fluid stream discharge outlet means in said second housing for directing uniformly at least one stream of fluid against the surface of the substrate material, said second housing inlet and outlet means defining a flow path of heated fluid through said housing which is generally perpendicular to its length, said flow path within said second manifold including a plurality of chambers in serial arrangement, one of said plurality of chambers including a plurality of support partitions positioned within said flow path, each of said chambers being followed by a throttling means, at least one of said throttling means allowing said fluid flowing past said partitions to expand and become more uniformly distributed along the length of said second housing, thereby promoting uniform treatment of said substrate by said fluid; and   means attaching said second housing to said first housing, with said outlet means of said first housing communicating with said inlet means of said second housing, and with the axis of discharge of said fluid stream discharge outlet means disposed at a substantially right angle to the heated fluid flow path through said first manifold housing.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second manifold housing further includes pattern control means and means for directing a plurality of pressurized streams of relatively cool fluid at spaced locations across said fluid stream discharge outlet to block the flow of said pressurized, heated fluid from said second compartment at selected of said spaced locations along the length of said discharge outlet in response to patterning information supplied by said pattern control means. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flow path within said second compartment comprises a first chamber and associated throttling means, followed in serial arrangement by a second chamber and associated throttling means which in turn is followed by said fluid stream discharge outlet means, and wherein a segment of said flow path beginning immediately before said first throttling means and ending immediately after said second throttling means provides a dynamic head loss greater than 3.0.